"The place has been packed," said General Manager Dave Petrone. The Stratford location sold 450 pounds of corned beef for St. Patrick's Day, he added. "We're busy."

Founded in 2007 by former Harborside employee Joe Collier, Savin Rock specializes in slow-roasting a variety of meats in a special blend of spices for 12 hours.

"We've gone back to the old way of cooking," said Collier, who interested a group of investors in the idea. "We believe in the concept ourselves and it's been an incredible success in West Haven."

Petrone said the new place serves the same popular fare as the first Savin Rock but has the added benefit of being about six times the size, with more than 10,000 square feet of space and seating for 450 patrons in the summer.

Savin Rock offers "Our House Pastrami" and "Our 12 Hour Corned Beef" dinners for $12.95 and a variety of sandwiches, including "The Ultimate Steak Burger" for $8.95. The menu also includes entrees such as Delmonico cut rib eye steak for $20.95 and chicken carbonara for $16.95, and a full compliment of seafood dishes, including fresh lobster from its own tank.

"We do it the right way," Petrone said.

The restaurant also has a full-service delicatessen serving sandwiches and wraps, and about 15 specialty sandwiches with names such as "The Mill Chute," "Thunderbolt" and "Laff in the Dark," recalling rides from the old Savin Rock amusement park. The eatery's daily "Midway" specials include meatloaf wrapped in bacon, beef pot pie, baked macaroni and cheese and house-made porketta.

The new Savin Rock brings in comedians from the Treehouse Comedy Club for entertainment on Saturday nights.

Places such as Savin Rock are so popular because they cater to people's desire to eat well-prepared, high-quality meats, said Linda Kavanagh, principal of Stamford's MaxEx Public Relations, which focuses on the restaurant industry.

"You can relate it to the barbecue trend," she said. "When people go out, it's their license to eat meat."

Savin Rock is a nice compliment to Assiagio Ristorante on the Harbor, a large, full-scale Italian eatery next door, Kavanagh said.

"The excellent food and huge portions along with the bright ambience of umbrellas and water view make it a delightful place to lunch or dine," she said.

Savin Rock Roasting Co.'s food service runs from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The restaurant, which also offers a late-night menu, has a bar that is open until 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.